When I Was Ten begins in 1997 with the Slater sisters who are twelve and ten, they live in the posh house on the hill with their parents, their father is a doctor and he and Pamela, their mother are widely respected by the community, their best friend Brinley Booth lives next door and the three of them are inseparable, until that fateful night when Dr Palmer and his wife, Pamela are brutally stabbed fourteen times with a pair of scissors and one of the sisters admits to doing it. Fast forward to 2018, the author introduces us to Catherine, who is happily married to Edward and they have a twelve year old daughter, Honor. One of the Slater sisters has been persuaded to take part in a documentary and talk about what happened, Brinley Booth is now a journalist and has been tasked with covering the story, between her and the sister, their revelations will have far reaching consequences on Catherine and the life she has built with her family.

This is a fast paced thriller, based over two timelines and in three parts, told in the third person narrative and also from Brinley's perspective, it is a tense story, which is, at times, uncomfortable to read, the author explains in graphic detail what the sisters had to endure at the hands of their parents, the people that were supposed to look after them and keep them safe, and this goes some way to explaining why this heinous crime was committed. Cummins has penned an authentic tale, inspired by true events, which isn't for the feint hearted, but is well worth a read.

I'd like to thank Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I absolutely loved this book. It kept me turning the pages and the writing was flawless. The tension created was palpable and the plot was intriguing. This is the story of the Carter sisters and their best friend and it had so many twists. The story is told in 3 parts and it moves from the present to the past to reveal the real secrets of what happened that cold December night when Mr and Mrs Carter were murdered by their daughter. I really felt for Caroline as the story unfolded and thought that all the characters were fully developed and behaved as you would expect with the dark secrets they held. I read this book quicker than I usually do and that was because I was so invested in the story and didn't want to put it down. A very easy five stars from me and I look forward to reading more of Cummins' work.

This was fantastic!
Really gripping throughout and plenty to consider for the reader.
Should child murderers get the opportunity for a new identity?
Did the girls' parents deserve to die for what they did?
What punishment should someone get?
How hard is it for someone to go into witness protection, away from the life they know?
How far would someone go to protect the ones they love?
Wowww. This was a great book, and one I will think about for a long time after finishing. Great characters and a great plot.
I do think the parents' actions could have been darker (yes I have a twisted mind!) to warrant the murders.
My only issue was that with the audiobook I found it difficult to remember which sister was which because of the similar names! I think they could have been distinguished easier and had stronger, more clear and different personalities. Perhaps the ebook would have been easier.
The audiobook was very well executed apart from that, and the narrator was extremely easy to listen to.
Definitely recommend this one!

3 lives completely changed forever after one heinous act.
A silent pact made never to be broken.
The years following hiding deep dark secrets.
Will anyone ever tell the absolute truth of the events of that night?
An excellent read, It grabbed me from the first page and did not let go til the last page.
A brilliant twist at the end,never saw it coming.
A riveting and compelling book.
I loved it!



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I have only read one novel by Fiona Cummins before, “The Bone Collector,” and loved it, so was keen to give her another try.

In 1997 the country was riveted by the Hilltop Murders, when Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were stabbed to death with a pair of sisters. The doctor was a pillar of the community and the couple had two, beautiful young daughters – Shannon and Sara. However, one of the daughters, labelled, ‘The Angel of Death,’ by the press, confessed to the murders.

Fast forward to the present and the killer has decided to tell her story to the newspapers; aiming her words specifically to her sister; now married, and a mother herself, but living under an assumed name. Meanwhile the Carter sisters neighbour, and friend, Brinley Booth, is now a journalist. When the interview happens, it shocks her, as well as the other Carter sister. Both women know secrets about that night and about what happened within the family home…

This is a creepy and interesting story about the aftermath of a crime which shocked a country – as crimes involving children always do – and the reasons behind it. Cummins really keeps up the pace and there are lots of twists and turns. This is sure to be huge hit with fans of psychological thrillers. I received a copy of the book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

The lightening incident at the start of this book really drew me in, but then it felt very slow going for a while. I'm trying not to give spoilers but, the life choices and repercussions of the crime on the three main characters were interesting , but I was never really sure of their motivation particularly Sara's. I didn't feel the MP added aything to the story, and could easily have been missed out, or the discussion on rehabilitation vs retribution widened and explored in more depth.
Thank you to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of this book

When I was Ten by Fiona Cummins
Twenty-one years ago, Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were murdered by their ten year old daughter (nicknamed the Angel of Death by the media).
The surviving sister, Sara, spent eight years in a children’s secure unit and is now living under an assumed name with a family of her own. But she's never told her husband and child about her true identity.

Media interest in the case renews after Shannon (now 20 years older) is interviewed on tv and Sara's new identity is revealed, leading to the break up of her family and intense media scrutiny.

Journalist Brinley Booth, a childhood friend of the Carter sisters, covers the news story, and with her invaluable insight and link to the case, everyone wants to know what she knows.
And Brinley knows what really happened.She re-connects with Sara and togeher they try to put the past right – with devastating consequences...
When I was Ten kept me hooked all the way from start to finish – utterly gripping, fast-paced and well written. I definitely want to read more by Fiona Cummins.
* Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the ARC.

A really interesting tale about a woman who has served time for killing both her parents when she was a child. She has made a new life for herself and even her husband and daughter don’t know about her past.
I became extremely involved with the characters and had no idea what would happen next

While it seemed that not a lot happened early in the book, there was a palpable sense of encroaching doom or, as I like to call it - creeping menace. I couldn’t put my finger on the source of my unease but it was there. That is the author’s super power!

21 years ago the story of the Angel of Death who killed her parents swept the nation. She was 10 years old. Sara Carter was escorted from the house drenched in the blood of her parents. Her 12 year old sister, Shannon quietly disappeared into foster care while Sara was institutionalised until she was 18. Sara is now Catherine Allen and she did not kill her parents. She took the blame for her beloved sister. How many 10 year olds would understand the repercussions of such an act? This is all explained early on so not a spoiler. But with the 20 year anniversary of the conviction coming up the story is in the news again and Shannon takes the opportunity to finally agree to an interview which she uses to reach out to her sister.

Only three people know the truth of what happened that night - Sara/Catherine, Shannon and Brinley Booth, the girl’s childhood friend and former neighbour. And while Shannon’s heartfelt plea for her sister to contact her seems so generous and loving, Catherine is scared that her carefully constructed second life is going to blow up around her. She is married to Edward but has not told him about her past. She also has a 12 year old daughter, Honor, who she is desperate to protect from the fallout that would inevitably ensue if she were outed as the killer.

And inevitably, as is often the case with thrillers, things go south pretty quickly from there. That dread, that menace are now breathing down your neck as you wonder how this going to be resolved. Brinley is now a journalist for the New Daily (I think) and is sent to cover the story. She is terrified of getting involved but her guilt has been gnawing away at her for 20 years. You see Brinley didn’t tell the truth about that night. Meanwhile Edward has been acting strange and Honor has been keeping secrets. You can sense a collision coming but you just don’t know who, if anyone, will be left standing. This was a riveting book and I’m happy to recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Fiona Cummins for providing a review copy. My opinions are my own.

Catherine Allen has worked so hard to be the best wife and Mother, whilst keeping a terrible secret about her childhood; her name is really Sara Carter and when she was ten she was convicted of the brutal murder of her parents and spent years in a secure unit before being given a new identity. Now her sister, Shannon, is appearing in a new documentary about the so called Angel of Death murders and Catherine can feel the life she built for herself starting to slip away.

I absolutely loved this book! Honestly, it has everything I love about this genre. There’s political scandal, a thought provoking back story, a horrific crime and absolutely twists galore!

There are two main narratives running through most of this book. We see Catherine trying to hold on to the new life she has made for herself and journalist Brinley Booth, who had lived next door to the Carter family and been friends with the girls before the murders, who is trying to decide whether to use her inside knowledge for a story.

The timeline isn’t linear, we start in the present day and the go back to see exactly what happened in the days leading up to the murders before coming back to the present again. This back story is honestly going to stay with me.

There are also messages shown but it’s not immediately clear who the person is doing the messaging or who they are talking to until later in the book.

Honestly, it’s difficult to say too much because I wouldn’t want to give away any spoilers. Cummins writing is absolute perfection. She builds up the tension brilliantly and I went from being at 40% of the way through to finishing the rest in one night because I was so gripped. The ending is jaw dropping.

When this is released on 15 April I highly recommend you run, don’t walk, to your nearest book shop and get a copy.

When I was Ten by Fiona Cummins is a clever, intricate thriller that keeps on surprising. I loved it!

The privileged but cruelly mistreated daughters of the local doctor and his wife take matters into their own hands, when they can take no more. As the 21st anniversary of those events comes around, the tabloid journalists are sent out to find a front page exclusive.

The stories of Shannon, Sara and Brinley are cleverly constructed as the events of 21 years ago have affected them each in different ways. Catching up with them now, we learn how they have coped with the consequences of that terrible night and their secret pact.

Whilst horrified by the cruelty the children had to endure, I loved their spirit, their scheming and disregard; Brinley is a great character too. More than once, I thought this story was complete only to be blindsided by another twist.

Another addictive thriller from the extremely talented Fiona Cummins. Having read Rattle and The Bone Collector I knew I was in for a brilliant read and I was not disappointed.

This story is told over a dual timeline with the current timeline first, then we are taken back to what happened when the children were 10 and 12 years old and one of them murdered their parents. We find out what the girls had to endure and what events led up to that night. The girls had an extremely strong bond.

We have two narrators y is the girl next door and the other is one of the sisters who is now living under a new identity with her husband and daughter who know nothing of her old life. Until her sister films an interview and the press track her down.

Fiona delves in to various difficult topics, the main one being child abuse of two young sisters by their ‘disciplinarian’ parents who are respected members of the community. The father is a doctor and the mother is a stay at home mum who knits blankets for babies. No one knows what goes on behind closed doors. The parents are brutally murdered one night and the two daughters are taken into care. One of the girls is covered in blood and appears to be the murderer.

Their friend who lives next door has a mother who is dying from cancer and a father who is having an affair. She knows what happened that night but is keeping a huge secret.

I raced through this book in a couple of days. Highly recommended.

Then: In Hilltop House, Dr. Richard Carter and his wife Pamela are raising their two daughters, Shannon and Sara. The abuse, emotional and physical, heaped upon the two girls is so vicious that it hard to even read about it. Shannon and Sara are very close and they share a friend in their neighbor Brinley Booth. She will join them on a horrific night that they will never forget, a night that changes them forever.

Now: Catherine and Edward Allen’s daughter Honor has been having terrifying nightmares, possibly caused by stress. Catherine is also troubled by an upcoming special about the deaths of Dr. Carter and his wife, stabbed to death by one of their daughters. Brinley is now a reporter charged with discovering new information about the killings. No one knows she was part of he story. They will.

When I Was Ten is a dark, disturbing psychological thriller. Told in alternating voices by the three girls, the story alternates between the past and present with a subplot involving a Member of Parliament. The characters are well described and the twists at the end are shocking. 5 stars but be aware that there are scenes of brutal child abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Fiona Cummins for this ARC.

I really enjoyed When I Was Ten, not least because it did make me sit up and go “wait, what??” on two separate occasions. I’ve never read anything from Fiona Cummins before but I’m always happy to find good crime/thrillers written by women-and will definitely be seeking out more.

I don’t want to give anything away but this is a really interesting look into the effects of abuse of a child’s psyche, on the machinations that go in to the rehabilitation and protection of offenders.

If I’m being honest I feel like the Geoffrey Heathcote storyline was unnecessary, it didn’t really add anything to the story for me. But it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book-more just solidified my disrespect for Tories 🤷🏼‍♀️.

I’m not entirely sure how to review this book as I found it very conflicting. It has the blurb of a fabulous book based on the description of a terrible murder, by a child. The story has three main characters, the three children who know what happened the night of the murders. Although the bones of the book were great, I found it very slow although snippets did appear that made me want to continue. The book had a great ending, which did make it worth continuing reading.

2.5 stars. I found this book quite long winded and it took me a while to read it. Not for me I’m afraid

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which kept me up late into the night. The characters of the main protagonists were very well portrayed and I particularly liked to two timelines - current and 21 years previously. The Carter parents were chilling and the menace of their parenting was never overstated. I felt a deep sympathy for Sara and genuinely couldn’t put the last 20% of the book down. I look forward to a fifth book by Fiona Cummins as I love the way she writes and draws in her reader from the very first page.

A solid four star read. Well written. Good characters. Gripping. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled Only downside was the but about the politician definitely not needed within the storyline.. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

This book was told from the point of view,of two women, they have been friends since they were neighbours in childhood - Catherine and Brinley The novel tells us of how two sisters Sara and Shannon 10 and 12 end up being notorious for their parents being murdered by one of them. Both sisters are subjected to horrific abuse, mental, physical and neglect! No one would believe what goes on behind closed doors their parents are well respected in the community, their parents being Dr and Mrs Carter.
One of the sisters is out of prison and built a new life for herself with a husband and child! The other had been in and out of care homes and decides to do a documentary to try and find her sister after all being infamous she needed to change her identity.
Secrets that probably should have been left in the past have a habit of coming out and once they start its like the floodgates have opened and can't be closed again.

I really enjoyed reading this novel , Fiona Cummins has done a fantastic job with making you care about what happens to the children once they have grown up and do they regret what they did all those years ago? Think this could definitely be adapted for a film or tv series!!! I would love to watch it.

A book full of shocks. I found myself holding my breath when turning the page sometimes. A book that will bring put emotion but also anger in how these young girls began their lives. You don't always know what goes on behind closed doors and this book certainly highlights this saying. A real page turner.